Record cleaning devices



Jan. 18, 1966 c. E. WATTS 3,229,321

RECORD CLEANING DEVICES Filed Aug. 22, 1963 .ZZZ' A 5 lNVE/V TOR ATTORME 7 United States Patent 3,229,321 RECORD CLEANING DEVlCES CecilErnest Watts, Darby House, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, Eugiand FiledAug. 22, 1.963, Ser. No. 303,892

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 31, 1962,

31,185/62 8 Claims. (Cl. 155il6) The present invention relates to recordcleaning devices such as are used for removing dirt from the surface ofgramophone records and for applying antistatic agent thereto to reducethe build-up of electrostatic charges on the record surface.

In accorrance with the invention there is provided a record cleaningdevice including a closed tubular container enclosing an absorbent bodyadapted to hold water or other liquid, a sponge body surrounding thecontainer, and a cover of plush material over the sponge body, thecontainer being perforated to allow the passage of moisture from theabsorbent body within the container into the sponge body.

While the device may be used merely as a substitute for the damp clothor sponge sometimes used at present for cleaning the record surface, thesponge body and plush cover are preferably impregnated with anantistatic agent. Transfer of this antistatic agent to the recordsurface cannot be detected and it may be that it only serves tofacilitate the removal of dirt and dust from the surface by the device.A very small amount of the antistatic agent may be transferred to therecord surface and this will help to disperse any accumulation of staticcharge on the surface.

In the place of water a solvent for the antistatic agent may be used onthe absorbent body in cases where it is desired to apply a quantity ofantistatic agent to the record. Butyl alcohol is a suitable solvent insome cases.

By way of example one embodiment of the invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device, and

FIG. 3 is a transverse section on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

In the device shown, the container has the form of a cylindrical tube 1!of rigid synthetic plastics material closed at each end by a screw-oncap 11. Loosely disposed within the tube is an absorbent body 12 formedof a polyether sponge material. The body 12 has a core formed of a pieceof wire 13 doubled over and twisted with a strip of polyether foam orsponge material which is thus gripped between the turns of the twistedwire. Upon this core strips 14 of polyether sponge are Wound helicallyand secured with adhesive or by heat and pressure. A loop of the wire 13is left at each end of the core to facilitate removal of the sponge body12 for moistenmg.

The cylindrical tube 19 has perforations 15 at intervals along itslength and around is periphery. A sheet of polyether sponge material iswrapped around the outer surface of the tube 10 to form a sponge body 16surrounding the container and over the sponge body 16 is a cover in theform of a sleeve 17 of nylon or other synthetic plush material. Thesynthetic plush material is a plush or velvet material composed whollyof one or more synthetic fibres and has numerous upstanding filamentswhich have sufficient stiffness to brush dirt out of the record grooves.The material is pervious to water and other liquids but does not absorband hold it as would a material composed of natural fibres.

The sponge body 16 around the outside of the container tube It and theplush cover 17 are impregnated with an antistatic compound such aspolyethylene glycol monlaurate 400 or nonionic antistatic agentcomprising a fatty acid ester, for example that sold under the tradename Glycosperse 020. In use the absorbent body 12 inside the containeris saturated with water and the moisture permeates the sponge body 16,which protrudes into the container through the perforations. The deviceis held radially against the surface of a record rotating on a turntableand removes the dirt from its surface. The moistness of the sponge bodyand the cover and the presence of the antistatic agent prevents anybuildup of static charges due to friction with the record surface. Anymoisture or antistatic agent transferred to the record surface duringthe cleaning operation assists in preserving freedom from chargeaccumulation during playing of the record but the amount of suchtransfer is extremely small and cannot interfere with tracking of therecord grooves by a stylus as would larger amounts of waxy antistaticagent.

While not in use the device is conveniently kept in a sleeve of flexiblesynthetic plastics material which fits closely over the cover and has acap attached to and litting over each end. This enclosure of the deviceprevents loss of moisture and allows a uniform distribution of moistureto be established throughout the sponge body and cover.

It is not necessary that both the plush cover and the sponge body shouldbe impregnated with antistatic agent. As stated above the device may beused without any antistatic agent. If antistatic agent is used eitherthe sponge body or the cover may be impregnated before assembly of thedevice or both may be impregnated before or after assembly.

If for purposes of record treatment it is necessary to apply anappreciable quantity of antistatic agent to the record the absorbentbody may be moistened with butyl alcohol or other organic solvent whichwill dissolve some of the antistatic agent and transfer it to the recordsurface.

I claim:

1. A record-cleaning device comprising:

a closed tubular container;

an absorbent body enclosed within said container;

a sponge body surrounding said container, said sponge body beingimpregnated with antistatic agent;

and a cover of plush material over said sponge body,

said container being perforated to allow the passsage of moisture fromliquid absorbed on the absorbent body within said container into saidsponge body.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said plush cover isimpregnated with antistatic agent.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said container is a rigidcylindrical tube having removable end caps.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said cover is of nylon plush.

5. A record-cleaning device comprising:

a closed tubular container;

an absorbent body enclosed within said container;

a sponge body surrounding said container;

and a cover of plush material over said sponge body,

said cover being impregnated with an antistatic agent, and saidcontainer being perforated to allow the passage of moisture from liquidabsorbed on said absorbent body within said contaner into said spongebody.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which said container is a rigidcylindrical tube having removable end caps.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 in which said cover is of nylon plush.

3 4 8. A record-cleaning device comprising: liquid absorbed by saidabsorbent body within said a rigid cylindrical tubular container;container into said sponge body. a removable end caps closing saidcontainer; an absorbent body enclosed within said container; ReferencesCited by the Examiner a sponge body surrounding said container; 5 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS and a cover of nylon plush material over said sponge952,106 3/1910 Francis 29 131 body, said sponge y and said cover being p2,498,980 2/1950 Bowling et al 15-562 X mated with antistatic agent andsaid container being perforated to allow the passage of moisture fromCHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A RECORD-CLEANING DEVICE COMPRISING: A CLOSED TUBULAR CONTAINER; ANABSORBENT BODY ENCLOSED WITHIN SAID CONTAINER; A SPONGE BODY SURROUNDINGSAID CONTAINER, SAID SPONGE BODY BEING IMPREGNATED WITH ANTISTATICAGENT; AND A COVER OF PLUSH MATERIAL OVER SAID SPONGE BODY, SAIDCONTAINER BEING PERFORATED TO ALLOW THE PASSAGE OF MOISTURE FROM LIQUIDABSORBED ON THE ABSORBENT BODY WITHIN SAID CONTAINER INTO SAID SPONGEBODY.